Our take
Prayers for the Stolen takes more time to observe life in its rural town, than to showcase the action and violence inflicted by the cartels that pass by. It’s a needed perspective. This move drives home how long these cartels were left unaddressed, as the women of the town have gotten used to the danger and were unable to leave for whole generations. It makes clear how their lives have been interrupted, limited, and held hostage at the whims of whichever group takes over the village. But it also allows writer-director Tatiana Huezo to help us witness the love and tenderness Ana holds for her mom and friends. Prayers for the Stolen is tough to watch because of the safety they lack, but it’s also a beautiful tribute to the relationships they’ve forged despite that.
What it won
Cannes
1 nom
DGA
1 nom
Spirit Awards
2 noms
LAFCA
1 win
Goya Awards
1 nom
The story
Ana and her two best friends, Maria and Paula, navigate life in their oppressive countryside village. Whilst their families struggle in the poppy fields harvesting opium, the girls try to grow alongside the creeping terror of their cartel oppressors.
Elsewhere
"A powerful distillation of beauty from violence."
— Marina Ashioti
""Prayers for the Stolen" shines a much-needed light on the consequences of Mexico's war on drugs, specifically highlighting the plight of the nation's women and girls."
— Susannah Gruder
Ana and her two best friends, Maria and Paula, try to navigate life in a town controlled by a drug cartel.
The ending. It’s heartbreaking that these women can’t properly grieve and let out their sorrow, since the danger is unrelenting.
No one deserves to be living in fear like this.
The details
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
